Instant Pot Golfers Special–an easy beef and gravy recipe, like Grandma used to make with only 4 main ingredients! Bonus: with the Instant Pot you can make the rice at the same time as the beef!
Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below
Instant Pot Golfers Special
This recipe comes from, my friend, Michelle’s grandma. My son Skyler plays with Michelle’s son and sometimes he comes home having eaten dinner with their family. I was intrigued when Sky came home stating that he had “golfers special” for dinner. He said it was “so good!” I tried to get to him to explain to me what the heck golfers special was but I was left confused. I finally had to find out for myself by asking Michelle directly. She told me that it was something her grandma made and put into her oven for 3-4 hours which was just long enough to play 18 holes of golf. Once the golf game was over they’d come home to a meal waiting for them. How fun is that?
My version of golfers special is not made in the oven but instead in the Instant Pot or the Crockpot. It’s an easy recipe with only 4 main ingredients. If you make it in the Instant Pot you won’t be able to get 18 holes of golf done while it’s cooking. Maybe I’ll call it “a mini golf game special.” 😜 But if you choose to make it in the Crockpot you’ll be able to play a whole round of golf.
A few notes about the ingredients:
Rice: With the Instant Pot version of the recipe you can make pot-in-pot rice at the same time as the beef. I like to use a tall trivet* and a stainless steel pan* to make pot-in-pot rice. I chose brown rice but you can also make other types of rice. Just see the green chart below for water to rice ratios. You can also choose to serve this over noodles, potatoes or even cauliflower rice.
Potato flakes: Sometimes I use instant mashed potato flakes to thicken stews and sauces. It’s a super fast and easy method! If you prefer you can make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce instead. To make a slurry, turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. In a small bowl stir together 2 Tbsp of cornstarch with 2-3 Tbsp of water, until smooth. Then pour the mixture into the Instant Pot. The cornstarch mixture will thicken up the contents of pot quickly.
Onion soup mix: I like Lipton’s onion soup mix for this recipe. If you prefer you can make your own onion soup mix at home.
Cream of soups: I don’t use them everyday but I do like them every now and then. To make this recipe a little healthier try the Campbells Healthy Request version of the soups. I used one can of cream of mushroom and one can of cream of chicken. But really you could mix and match with whatever cream of soup you have and like. I don’t do store brand for the soups I always pay extra for Campbells…it is worth it!
More Recipes Like Grandma Used to Make…
Instant Pot Round Steak and Gravy
Instant Pot French Onion Pot Roast
15 Instant Pot Comfort Foods That Mom Used To Make
Want More Tried And True Instant Pot Recipes?
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Instant Pot Golfers Special
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
An easy beef and gravy recipe, like Grandma used to make! Bonus: with the Instant Pot you can make the rice at the same time as the beef!
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2–3 pounds beef stew meat or chuck roast cut into cubes
- 1 (1 oz) package onion soup mix
- 1 (13 oz) can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
- 1 (13 oz) can Campbell’s cream of chicken soup
- For pot in pot rice (if making): 2 cups brown rice and 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup potato flakes
- Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Pour water into Instant Pot. Add in the beef. Sprinkle the beef with onion soup mix. Dump the two soups on top of the meat. Don’t stir.
- If you want to make pot in pot rice add a tall trivet into the pot. Add rice and water to a pan and place the pan (covered or uncovered) on top of the trivet.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 25 minutes. When time is up let the pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Carefully remove the rice pan and the trivet. Set aside. Stir in the potato flakes well. The sauce will thicken up. Add fresh ground pepper to taste.
- Serve the beef and gravy over the top of rice.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Add beef, onion soup mix, and soups into slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4.
- Stir well. Add fresh ground pepper to taste. Serve beef and gravy over rice or noodles.
Notes
See more tips in the article above.
To bump up the flavor add a tablespoon or Worcestershire sauce
- Category: Beef
- Method: Instant Pot or Slow Cooker
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
I read the whole recipe and all the comments just in case someone else asked, if using a slow cooker when do the potato flakes get used? Look forward to an answer so I can try this yummy looking recipe in my crockpot.
If it needs to be thickened at the end you can add them in
This was easy, delicious and smelled heavenly while cooking. I changed nothing in the recipe. I made brown rice PIP using one of the stackable steamer pans and the vented lid. I wasn’t sure if that much rice and water would fit but it did. When I released the pressure after 10 minutes, I did get some liquid blowing out the valve. I added a little extra bit of potato flakes because I wanted the gravy thicker. Another time, I think I’d add mushrooms. I also like the reviewer’s idea of marinating the beef in some red wine.
★★★★★
All of these ideas are great! Thanks for sharing Jeanie!
Could I use a Fat Daddy’s pan instead of a s/s pot?
Thanks
George
Yes you can!
Very delicious and repeatae.
★★★★★
Thanks so much for the 5 stars!
Karen, love your recipes. Question can I make this in my Ekovana stackable pots?
Looking for more recipes to try in PIP
I think that would work! You’d probably need to increase cooking time by up to 50% if the food is pot in pot.
Have made this several times,very good! We make it with what we buy as shoulder tenders. 3 lbs. marinated in 1/3 cup cabernet for 1 hr prior. Sauteed 4 fresh mushrooms that we added to. Over egg noodles,absolutely delicious. My grandmother wouldn’t have approved of the wine but, we do! Thank you,good recipe!
So glad you liked it!
Karen, If I use your recommended time of 3 minutes for long-grain white rice, will the beef be fully cooked? I’m very anxious to try this delicious looking recipe.
Keep the same cooking time as listed in the recipe. Don’t worry the rice will be okay cooking longer. Just use the right water to rice ratios
Awesome
Thanks Robert!
Hi, Karen. Wonder if I could make this with chunks of turkey or chicken instead? Would I need to make any changes to ingredients and/or cooking time, do you think? Thanks!
You could do that but they would only need a 5 minute cooking time. I wouldn’t do the pot in pot brown rice because it won’t cook in time. You could do white rice though.
Can you share instructions for the original oven version? We rented a cabin for the weekend and I will only have a stovetop and oven available. Thanks!
Sure! The original golfers special was a big package of beef stew meat, a can of cream of celery and a can of cream of mushroom soup, onion soup mix and a package of mushrooms. She would put it in the oven at 250 for 3-4 hours.
Karen, pardon my ignorance, but what is a (tall) trivet? I’m spoiled by your usual online examples. This recipe looks great, but I need to know what you are referencing.
Thanks!
Diane
Hi Diane, you can see an example here: https://amzn.to/3q4fzst
This made me smile because in our family, we all love my Mom’s “Football Stew”. It’s basically a very good beef stew but made in a slow cooker and as the story goes, you dump it all in and go to your football game. By the time you get home, hot delicious stew is waiting for you! And no, the meat is NOT as tough as a football! 😉
Oh I love that! We all need these kinds of recipes in our back pockets!
Thank you, Karen. As always, this sounds like a delicious winner! Quick question…could I use cornstarch to thicken the gravy instead of potato flakes? Thanks again!
★★★★★
If you prefer you can make a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce instead. To make a slurry, turn your Instant Pot to the sauté setting. In a small bowl stir together 2 Tbsp of cornstarch with 2-3 Tbsp of water, until smooth. Then pour the mixture into the Instant Pot. The cornstarch mixture will thicken up the contents of pot quickly.
Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Thank you Karen for sharing this recipe! I will definitely try it! We don’t eat beef cubes very often, my family doesn’t enjoy them as much…..unless I try it with pork cubes..I’ll see and get back to you with my family’s comments!
Pork cubes would be great!
I think so too! You helped me make a decision! I’ll make the recipe with pork cubes and let you know the result!
Thanks Karen
Hello Karen
I made the Golfers special for dinner. I had some very lean pork cubes after all. Me and my family enjoyed it very much. I am very glad I had the pork. I am pretty sure we would have liked it less with beef. It seems to me that soups are better suited for pork.
Next time I will add a little onion powder and garlic powder and a little Dijon mustard. I will sauté some mushrooms and add them at the very end. The rice was perfect, I used converted brown rice. I served with ultra fine frozen green beans cooked in my little Instant Pot, pressure cook 0.
I would do it again! Thank you Karen for your beautiful recipes that simplify my meals!
★★★★★
Good ideas!!
I don’t have a tall trivet. What could I use in it’s place.
Thank you in advance!
You could probably get away with using a shorter trivet. The rice pan will just get a bit dirty on the bottom. No biggie.
Could Golden Mushroom soup be substituted instead of cr of mushroom?
Yes!